Dear Health Care Providers,
We are writing to ask for your continued support of the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose for newborns. You are a trusted source of information for your patients, and your guidance plays a critical role in their health decisions, including vaccination.
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Whatcom County Health Community Services continue to recommend:
- All newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, with completion of the 3 to 4 dose series by 18 months of age, regardless of the birth parents’ hepatitis B infection status.
- Newborns of birth parents who test positive for hepatitis B infection or have an unknown status receive hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin within 12 hours of birth.
- For infants born to a parent who is hepatitis B-positive, perform perinatal post-vaccination serologic testing 1-2 months after vaccine series completion, but not before 9 months of age.
This recommendation aligns with recommendations from the West Coast Health Alliance and leading national organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Routine birth-dose vaccination, recommended since 1991, has contributed to a 99% reduction in annual hepatitis B infections and has prevented more than 500,000 childhood infections and an estimated 90,100 childhood deaths.
Thank you for your continued commitment to protecting the health of newborns, families, and communities across Washington.
Resources
Hepatitis B Vaccine Birth Dose Health Care Provider FAQ.pdf
Contact Us
Contact Whatcom County Health and Community Services at 360-778-6100
- 360-778-6100 Main Call Line – available M-F 8:30am to 4:30pm.
- Afterhours Answering Service – available after 4:30pm and weekends, call 360-778-6100 and press 2 to be connected to the on-call manager or health officer.
- 360-778-6150 Communicable Disease Report Line – 24 hours a day 7 days a week
- 360-778-6103 Confidential Communicable Disease Fax – 24 hours a day 7 days a week
- 509 Girard Street, Bellingham WA 98225